Catch Me If You Can
by Madamx28
Summary: Elizabeth offers a challenge. EJ implied. Oneshot.


"ENOUGH!" Elizabeth commanded with probably the most authority any of the three men had heard from any female during any time of their lives. It shocked them into submission and they all dropped their swords to the ground. Once again, they had been fighting and this time it was over who was going to whisk her away to her "new and better life." Elizabeth, however, had plans of her own and not once did she ever include breaking up a sword fight to be a part of them. She glared at them intently, successfully communicating her frustration with them, and each man in turn lowered their eyes at her gaze.

"James Norrington!" she scolded. " This is not the way an officer of the British Royal Navy should represent himself! If word of this type of behaviour from a Commodore ever reached England, you'd be de-commissioned for sure!"

"Yes. You're quite right, Elizabeth." he raises his eyes and looks at her directly. "Please forgive me for my behaviour?"

She gives him a gentle smile and a warm kiss on the cheek. "You're a fine man, James. There's nothing for me to forgive, I was only thinking of your own well-being."

He returns her smile, admiring her for the woman she has become.

She moves on to Will who bravely faces the consequences he knows she will most certainly hand out to him. "Will. I'm surprised at you reducing yourself to the level of a schoolboy. What would your father think of this after you fighting so hard for his freedom?"

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. You most certainly are capable of making this decision yourself and it was wrong for me to behave in the manner which I have. Please accept my apology?"

"Will, you too are a fine man and you're also a courageous man. I'm sure you were only trying to ensure my happiness no matter the cost to you. I was thinking only of how you represent your name." she said with a smile.

"Yes, I was." Will replied enthusiastically.

"Then there's nothing to apologize to me for." Elizabeth whispered as she reached up and kissed him on his warm, soft lips. She felt his hands reach up and caress her face and she in turn stroked his hair and softly whispered in his ear "I love you, Will Turner." She pulled away but let her eyes linger very briefly in his and then stepped back and turned her body away.

Jack, who had been closely watching the whole thing, had an answer for her the moment she stopped in front of him. "You see, Elizabeth. It wasn't I who was engaged in a battle it was those two." He points a thumb in their direction. "I was merely trying to explain to them how upset you'd be if you found out that they were fighting over you but they forced me into it so I..."

"Jack."

"...I had no choice but to defend myself and since I'm more a lover than a fighter I thought that maybe..."

"JACK."

"Yes love?" he asks with an innocent smile and a raised eyebrow.

She approaches him slowly and deliberately until finally there's only an inch between them of unfilled space. She wraps her arms around his body and presses herself against him. Each can feel the other's heartbeat and each is savouring the warmth that comes with the intimacy they now share. She slowly reaches up to him with parted lips and presses her mouth against his. They sink into each other and for one brief moment, they are one. Before breaking the embrace she softly whispers in his ear a challenge to him. "Catch me if you can." Her tone almost begs him to succeed but he knows there'll be no quarter given should she catch him first. Afterall, she is a pirate!

Elizabeth walks away from the 3 men and steps up onto the ledge of the battlement. She turns and and addresses the group. "Gentlemen, before I go I'd like to thank you for all that you've given me. I'll never forget any of you and..." Then, she drops off the edge into the water below and swims out towards her waiting ship, the Empress.

The men watch her in awe and after several moments Norrington is the first to speak. "Wait a minute...my hat! She's taken my hat!" he looks around quickly but finds no trace of it. "Pirate!" he says with a sigh of resolve.

Then, Will notices that he too is missing something. "My sword!" he glances over at Norrington's sword who notices him eyeing it and protectively rests his hand over it while turning away. "Pirate." he says with respect and a slight smile crosses his face for he knows that she's happy.

Jack, finding the recent, unexpected turn of events to be quite humourous, decides that now is the time to educate these two men on the finer points of piracy. But before he has a chance Gillette appears and interrupts Jack's thoughts.

"Sir! The Dauntless! She's taken the Dauntless!"

"That's impossible! That ship cannot be crewed by only one man, you know that Gillette!" Norrington stated.

"That's just it sir," replied Gillette. "She's also taken the crew! They went willingly, sir! She promised them many things and all aboard aside from myself decided to join her. They were smitten with her, said she'd bring them good luck."

Norrington looks out and see's the Dauntless slowly leaving the harbour, the black flag now flying at it's mast.

"Prepare the fleet. We leave tomorrow at first light." Norrington ordered.

"Not immediately, sir?" Gillette asked puzzled

"I think we can afford to give her one day's head start" he says of his favorite pirate.

Finally, Jack has his opportunity and decides to take it.

"You see, gentlemen, Elizabeth is much more than a pirate, she's now a captain of her own ship which means, she'll do whatever's necessary. Had either one of you actually listened to ol' Jack a long time ago, you would have come to expect and quite possibly prevent, any wrongdoings that said pirate lass might inflict upon ye. Now then, take me for example..."

"Uh...Jack." Will speaks up.

"Don't interrupt son, this is what got you in trouble the first time, not listening to the Captain."

'Mr Sparrow?" Norrington interjected catching Jack's attention.

"Just how do you plan on leaving Port Royal?"

"Why the Pearl, of course" Jack scoffed. "What other way would a Captain leave than onboard his own ship?"

"Well, I don't see your ship...Captain" Norrington replied.

"Of course you do. It's anchored offshore, right out..." he turns to face the ocean and what he see's next causes his eyes to widen. Not only is the Dauntless leaving with the Empress, but the Black Pearl is also following closely behind with all her crew aboard. Jack turns, speechless, not knowing what to do or where to go. Suddenly, he realizes the answer probably lies down at the docks.

"Well gentlemen, it's time for me to take my leave I'm afraid." he tries to leave gracefully even though his own ship and crew has abandoned him, but somehow the whole thing comes across as awkward and slightly desperate. He turns clumsily and heads off towards the docks, flailing his arms and muttering frustrations to himself. Will and Norrington watch after him until Gillette once again interrupts.

'My gun. She took my gun!" he cried. Will and Norrington both smile and Gillette, realizing that he had been outsmarted looks toward the 3 ships and speaks his thoughts aloud. "That's the best pirate the world has ever seen!" Will and James agree.

Meanwhile, Jack reaches the docks and notices the Jolly Mon floating in one of the slips. It had been raised from the depths, repaired and refitted and was completely seaworthy and ready to go for him. He knew who was responsible and why it was done so he smiled confidently as he stepped aboard. Before untying from the dock, he reached into his coat and pulled out a slightly crushed Commodore's hat, a sword with the initials W.T. carved into the handle and a navy officers rifle. Yes, the coat can be hot at times, but it sure comes in handy for pilfering. He unties the small fishing vessel and pushes away from the dock adjusting the sails to catch the wind. His first task was to find a larger ship so he'd sail to Tortuga where he knew many were anchored offshore, completely empty, waiting for it's drunken, irresponsible crew to return. If he were to catch up to her, he'd need something fast, but at least having the Dauntless under her command meant that she wasn't uncatchable. He straightened out the Commodore's hat and laid it gently down on the wooden bottom of the boat, he'd present it to her when he caught her and strike a deal with her similar to the deal he had made with Barbossa. She would be Commodore and he would Captain the Pearl again, he'd willingly sail under her colours and split the swag to whatever percentage she was willing to negotiate. Together, they would sail, each in their own ships but as one in their hearts and now all that was left was for him to catch up. She was a good pirate, a very good pirate, but he was better. In her little escapade of stealing his ship, she forgot that she could be easily found by the use of his compass, a minor point really but it was a lesson that she needed to learn if she were to make it as a pirate. Lucky for her she had him to keep her safe, as he had always promised. He smiled and reached down to pick up his compass and get his heading.

Nothing.

He looks down.

Nothing.

It's gone. She'd taken his compass during their embrace.

Jack clenches his teeth, realizing he too had been outsmarted.

"Bloody pirates!"

He quickly turns the little boat in the direction of the pirate he is following, and starts to assist it by rowing. It's a lost cause, but for now it's all he's got.

Onboard the Dauntless, Commodore Swann once again is looking over the stern of the powerful ship. In the distance she see's the Jolly Mon turn and make it's heading in her direction. She smiles and pulls out her compass, opens it and watches as the needle spins wildly then stops and points towards the small fishing boat that's pursuing her.

"Where to, Captain?" Groves, a former member of the British Royal Navy asks of Elizabeth.

Once again she checks her heading, it remains steadfast, and she gives her orders.

"Straight ahead." she replies

'Full speed?" he inquires.

"Half, for now." She closes the compass and begins to sing, completing the song that had been interrupted during her childhood crossing from England.

"Maraud and embezzle and even highjack, drink up me 'arties, Yo Ho. Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me." 


End file.
